I’m not certain what the McCain campaign wanted to do with this ad. They either want to paint Barack Obama as extremely liberal or they want to make him look unpresidential. Unfortunately, in “Folks”, they try to do both at the same time and leave both arguments unsupported:

ANNCR: Who is Barack Obama? The National Journal says he’s the Senate’s most liberal. How extreme. But when pressed, how does he defend himself?

BARACK OBAMA: They’re not telling the truth. I hate to say that people are lying, but here’s a situation where folks are lying.

ANNCR: Mr. Obama, we all know the truth.

BARACK OBAMA: Folks are lying.

ANNCR: Not presidential.

This ad would have much stronger effect if the McCain campaign started giving examples of Obama’s extreme voting record. The National Journal rating has been used ad nauseam.  What did Obama vote for or against that shows his radical nature?  Let’s talk about how Obama was in the minority of his own party in voting against the confirmation of John Roberts, one of the most qualified nominees to the Supreme Court in recent history, belying his pretense of bipartisanship.  Get specific.

I’m not convinced that “Folks are lying” makes Obama “not presidential”, either.  If folks really are lying, then wouldn’t that be a rational response?  Without specifics about his radical voting record, the accusation falls flat.  Why not use the multiple accusations from Obama about racism instead?  That can’t be too hot to touch, since Obama himself made the allegations — and found himself criticized by ABC and the Washington Post for it.  Why hasn’t that made it into an ad?

McCain’s ad team has done excellent work in this campaign, but this one should have been tossed on the editing room floor, figuratively speaking.  Get tougher by getting specific.  This ad is too timid, and as a result doesn’t say much at all.